Outboard propeller and rudder mounting



1934- D. G. CHANDLER El AL 1,943,283

OUTBOARD PROPELLER AND RUDDER MOUNTING Filed Aug. 20, 1931 I l2 6 I I 25 I I /9"- 22 k f\ 28 \zfx ATTORNEY Patented jan. 16 1934 PATENT OFFICE OUTBOARD PROPELLER AND RUDDER MOUNTING David G. Chandler and Robert T. Svendsen,

Minneapolis, Minn.

Application August 20, 1931. Serial No. 558,302

11 Claims.

I adapted for connection with the drive shaft of a motor or engine disposed within the hull of the boat. A further object is to provide a drive unit of the character indicated with a swingable propeller mounting permitting a laterally upward movement of the propeller while running, thus permitting the propeller to function in relatively shallow water, in conjunction with a rudder support and rudder which is mounted and adapted for control adjustment independent of the propeller mounting, but also capable of being moved upwardly in shallow water without impairing its function; with a result that the boat can be propelled and steered with the same efficiency in shallow as in deep water. A further object of the invention is to provide a sectional propeller mounting or housing, including automatic power disengaging means, wherein upper and lower housing sections are pivotally connected to permit upward and rearward movement of the lower section in combination with a novel arrangement of fracturable break pin for rigidlysecuring the section together undernormal operating conditions. A further object is to provide a propeller mounting of the type having a depending drive housing disposed in advance of and carrying the propeller, with means of a novel nature for cushioning the initial impact when said depending drivevhousing meets with rocks or other obstructions in the water. Still other and more specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

The single figure shows a left side elevation of a device embodying our invention as attached to the hull of a boat, and with various parts of the device and hull in section for purpose of illustra tion.

Referring to the drawing more particularly and by reference characters, 1 designates the stern or rear wall of aboat hull havinga floor 2. 'Bearing plates 3 and 4 are suitably secured to the inner and outer faces of the wall 1. A drive shaft 5, extending from the engine (not shown) within the hull, projects out through wall I intoa gear chamber 6 of a housing section 7. This section supports or carries a lower section 8, which in turn supports a propeller 9. The housing section 7 has an integral sleeve 10 which is spaced about the shaft 5 and its journaled in the members 1,

3-4, being provided with a shoulder 11 for abu ting engagement with the plate 4. The purpose of journaling the sleeve 10 in the boat is to provide for movement of the members 78 laterally upwardly whereby the propeller may be brought closer to the water surface, while still functioning to drive the boat, as when operating in shallow water. No specific device is illustrated for raising the propeller, as any suitable form may be employed. Thus, for instance, in our Patent No. 1,745,235 we have shown how the propeller mounting may be swung laterally upwardly under the .action of the drive shaft torque assisted by the propeller itself, subject to either automatic release or manual release devices as therein illustrated, or the lifting may be efiected as illustrated in our Patent No. 1,735,660, where still other mechanisms are shown for the purpose.

The mechanism for transmitting power from the engine drive shaft 5 to the propeller 9 may, as far as the present invention is concerned, also be of practically any suitable design. In the present instance We have shown the drive shaft 5 as having a pair of relatively rotatable bevel gears 12 and 13, which are in constant mesh with a similar gear 14 on a vertical shaft 15 mounted in housing section 7. A manually reciprocable clutch block 16 is slidably keyed on the shaft 5, and by being shifted from the neutral position shown toward either of the gears 12 and 13 the shaft 15, and propeller 9, will be selectively rotated in either direction to move the boat rearwardly or forwardly, as desired.

The transmission mechanism within the housing section 8 includes a vertical shaft 16 and other driving elements which may be of suitable or conventional design, as shown for instance in Fig. 2 of our Patent No. 1,745,235 to which reference has already been made.

The housing section 8 is'hingedly secured to the section 7 as by a pivot pin 17, and the two sections are made relatively rigid by the employment of a break pin 18. At the juncture of the two sections 7 and 8 power is transmitted from the shaft 15 to the shaft 16 throughjaw clutch members 19 and 20, carried by the respective shafts. These clutch members are normally connected at all times, and their only purpose is to cut off power to the propeller if and when the break pin 18 is fractured, at which time the housing section, having contacted with an obstruction in the water to break the pin, will be free to move rearwardly upward.

The position and arrangement of the break pin 18 is of vital'importance as it presents decided advantages over emergency break joint devices embodying other release means. It is superior, for instance, to devices employing retaining pins that are released by shearing action of parts, because in the latter instance the shearing edges relied upon will seldom be of the same sharpness or proximity in two cases and consequently there will be a considerable variance in the impact pressure required to break the connections in different instances. With the present arrangement however, the pin is not cut by a variable shearing action, but is fractured by a pulling leverage action which is always the same, and with the tensile strength of the pin being known the impact resistance required to break it can be predetermined with a comparatively fine degree of accuracy.

The boat is steered by a rudder blade 21 which is suspended from a pivot pin 22 at the lower end of a shaft 23 joiu'naled in a pair of rearwardly extending fixed bracket arms 24 and 25. At its upper end the shaft 23 has a grooved sector 26 over which a rope or cable 27 is passed and which is so arranged that the shaft 23 may be oscillated to angle the rudder with respect to the longitudinal axis or median line of the boat. The rudder 21 is preferably designed so as to maintain its normal steering epth under the action of gravity only, but will yield or move rearwardly upward when resistance or pressure in that direction is met with. The circumstances under which such yielding action will occur are two-fold, as follows: First, if the break pin 18 is fractured the housing section 8 will swing back, and a cavitation plate 28 formed integral with and carried by it will engage the forward edge of the rudder to move it from its normal position. Secondly, should the propeller mounting be shifted laterally upward, as previously noted, to operate in shallow water, it will in no way interfere with the functioning of the rudder, as it is mounted independently of it, and the rudder will continue to operatively steer the boat but will be free to move back and upwardly when meeting with an obstruction in the water. In fact the rudder may ride directly on the bottom in shallow water, and its effectiveness at slower speeds in shallow water will not be impaired, particularly so because the more it is inclined from the vertical position shown.

the further will it extend back of the boat and the greater will be the lateral resistance it offers against the water. It will thus be understood'that with the structure shown both the propeller and the rudder may be raised to operate in shallow water, each independently of the other, and without in any way interfering with the respective functions of either.

To minimize as far as possible damage to parts, and to reduce the vibration and shock occuring when the housing section 8, or its depending fin 29, meets with an obstruction in the water, we

provide a rubber or other cushioning element 30 over practically the entire front edge thereof, said element being held in place and protected preferably by a metallic strap or guard plate 31, secured to the housing section as by screws 32. The strap 31 will of course form direct contact with the obstruction, and the element 30, as designed, will absorb much of the initial impact shock, with the advantages above noted.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invenvice.

tion, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A boat propulsion and steering mechanism comprising a normally depending housing having a propeller at its lower end and mounted for swinging movement laterally and upwardly to regulate the propeller depth in the water, said housing having a breakable joint to permit rearward and upward movement of the propeller and a rearwardly adjustable rudder carried by the boat independently of the propeller mounting whereby predetermined steering angles of the rudder may be maintained irrespective of said depth adjusted positions of the propeller.

2. A boat propulsion and steering mechanism comprising, a power driven propeller, means for mounting the propeller to the boat permitting the propeller to be swung up laterally and rearwardly toward the water surface, a rudder, and means for mounting the rudder permitting it to be swung up rearwardly in conjunction with or independently of movements of the propelled mounting means.

3. A boat propulsion and steering mechanism comprising, a power driven propeller, means for mounting the propeller to the boat including a housing permitting the propeller to be swung up laterally toward the water surface, said housing having a rearwardly and upwardly movable lower ioc section carrying the propeller, a rudder, and 16 means for mounting the rudder permitting it to be raised toward the water surface by or independently of rearward movements of said lower housing section.

4. A marine propeller mounting comprising upper and lower sections, a disconnectable power transmitting mechanism contained within the sections, said sections being releasably secured together and said power transmitting mechanism being maintained in releasably connected condition by a replaceable member capable of fracture by a predetermined tensile pull lengthwise of the member exerted by one section with respect to the other at the point of attachment by the member.

1 0 5. A marine propeller mounting comprising upper and lower pivotally connected sections, a power device extending from one section into the other and being disconnectable adjacent said pivot connection, a replaceable member connect-r ing the sections to normally retain them in relatively rigid positions and for releasably maintaining the power device connected, said member being arranged to receive a tensile pull, when pressure is applied to swing the lower section relative to the upper section, and to be fractured by the pull when said pressure reaches a predetermined degree, to thereby release the lower section and effect a disconnection of the power de- 6. An outboard drive unit for boats comprising a propeller support and a rudder mounted for upward swinging movements rearwardly on spaced relatively independent pivots, said propeller support having means for engaging the;

its

propeller support, and said propeller support having means to engage the rudder to move the latter on its pivot when the support is moved on its pivot.

8. A boat propulsion device mounted for rearwardly swinging movement from its normal operative position in the water, a power transmitter in the device and having a normally closed releasable clutch, a fracturable member for maintaining the device in said normal operative position against said movement, and for releasably holding said clutch in its normally closed position, said member having a predetermined limit of tensile strength that will permit of its fracture by a lengthwise pull imparted thereto by the device, to thereby release the device for said swinging movement and open the clutch, under a resistance pressure that is less than that required to fracture any other part of the device.

9. A marine propeller mounting comprising an upper housing section swingable transversely but held against rearward movement, a lower housing housing section is moved rearwardly with respect to the upper section under a predetermined stress.

10. A marine propeller mounting comprising an upper housing section swingable transversely but held against rearward movement, a lower housstress, and said attaching means also including a pivot connection permitting the lower section to swing upwardly without becoming detached from the upper section.

11. A boat propeller mounting and drive mechanism comprising an upper housing section having a vertical motor driven shaft and held against rearward swinging movement with respect to the boat, a. lower housing section depending from and pivotally secured to the upper section for rearward and upward swinging movement with respect thereto, a propeller carried by the lower section, a shaft in the lower section for rotating the propeller, a releasale connection between said shafts, and a tension member rigidly connecting said housing sections, said tension member being fracturable under predetermined resistance applied to the lower section to permit the latter to swing on its pivot connection with the upper section and to effect a release of said connection between the shafts.

DAVID G. CHANDLER. ROBERT T. SVENDSEN. 

